how has a dangerous situation changed your own view on your own SD tech.

[suicide]

a ) has it made you train harder

b ) has it driven you into seclusion

c ) have you resorted to carrying a weapon

d ) have you become more aware of your surroundings

e ) all thee above

:knight:

 

[Jaspthecat]

I've been in a couple of situations which thankfully I have managed to get out of without conflict.

This has meant 2 things:

I avoid the situations where such a confrontations are likely to occur (this has restricted my freedom in certain areas)

I restarted MA with a view to providing myself with the necessary tools (just in case)

 

[Em MacIntosh]

a) I don't train harder, I mould my training around desperation to save my life.
b) More or less. I'm a loner anyway though.
c)Steel toed boots.
d)I'm very sensitive to what I consider details that give away a potential threat. This means I'm very prejudiced to anyone who gives me the "tough guy" impression. I'm suspicious of people in hoodies, I'm somewhat more afraid of tall people and some people just have eyes that look mean to me. I always look over my shoulder...frankly, I'm a nervous wreck.

-I've learned to get VERY mean VERY fast.

 

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Train harder and realistically as safety allows.
I carry weapons of some sort most of the time.
Awarness is very important because if you dont see the threat, all your training can be for not if he walks behind you and shove a blade in your kidney.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

a ) has it made you train harder

b ) has it driven you into seclusion

c ) have you resorted to carrying a weapon

d ) have you become more aware of your surroundings

e ) all thee above

:knight:

a) Not recently, but it did push me when I was a kid.
b) No.
c) At one time, yes, but now? No.
d) Yes, but not due to any encounters.

Daniel

 

[Xinglu]

a ) has it made you train harder

b ) has it driven you into seclusion

c ) have you resorted to carrying a weapon

d ) have you become more aware of your surroundings

e ) all thee above

:knight:

a ) Nope, it just re-enforced that I was training correctly and to stick to that level of work ethic.

b ) Nope.

c ) I have always carried a knife on me, not because of any SD situations but because they are useful, if I had to I would use it in SD, but it is not my first option.

d ) Yes. You never really think it can happen until it does, so that was a big eye opener for me and now I am much more aware of my surroundings.

e ) N/A

 

[Jenna]

My unpleasant encounter convinced me that my proficiency in my art was utter delusion. I was ultimately hit with an illegally held Taser-style weapon that no years of MA training helped me to pre-empt; that no technique allowed me to stop. My skill failed me. I cursed myself for my ineptitude and my art for its worthlessness from a hospital bed. I disavowed my art, gave up MA completely for a year. it was for me. I had to switch to [a] as long as there was a fight left in me and because there can be no good end to the numbing comfort of option Jenna x

 

[Cirdan]

a ) has it made you train harder

b ) has it driven you into seclusion

c ) have you resorted to carrying a weapon

d ) have you become more aware of your surroundings

e ) all thee above

:knight:

a) No, self defense is still not the primary reason I train.

b) no

c) no

d) Not really, I`ve always kept a "tactical map" of my surroundings in all situations. However I am more careful with drink and I look out more for my friends.

I don`t rely on my art to keep me safe, I rely on myself.

 

[ChingChuan]

D)

I will never ever start carrying a weapon with me because I feel that would lower me to their level. I'm not ready to kill someone - if I'd have a knife on my person, I'd probably use it when needed and possibly kill an attacker. (it's not exactly legal in the Netherlands anyway - but there are many people who still carry knives etc.) However, I've got to admit that I took a letter-opener (shaped like a kerambit) with me for a week after being threatened - until I admitted to myself thar I wouldn't want to be in a situation to have actually used it.

I'm not training harder either because in that particular situation it wasn't about training - I was merely too scared to do anything useful. There is no way to train for that, unless I'd go to the reality based-kind-of things and that isn't what I'm looking for. When someone attacks me, I know what to do - it's the whole threatening part, when nothing has really happened yet, that I don't know how to act.

It's not driven me into seclusion. Why would it?

I am more aware of my surroundings. First it was a kind of hyper awareness (to the point that my friends/family would call it 'PTSD') - but after a few months that gradually diminished to a 'healthy' level of awareness. But I wouldn't say that I possess true zanshin or something (and I'm not trying to achieve that either.)

My view of the entire situation is this - **** happens in life and sometimes, you can deal with it, and sometimes, it's not really worth your time. I do value my life & safety, but my reason for training a MA is my love for the art itself, not it's potential value in saving my life.

 

[Omar B]

a) has it made you train harder - No, I don't change my habits because of one or two occurrences, considering I've been able to handle myself quite fine.

b ) has it driven you into seclusion - Nope, MA if anything makes one more outgoing and confident.

c ) have you resorted to carrying a weapon - No, I do not carry a weapon. In fact the first time I fired a gun was this summer when my cuz took me to a gun range.

d ) have you become more aware of your surroundings - My Sensei has always had us practice situational awarness.

e ) all thee above- No